Impossible
by LovingEmerald
Summary: "I can't lose you. You scared me tonight, more than I have ever been scared in my entire life" Angst. On their way to rescue Stefan, Damon & Elena cross paths with Klaus. Now, Damon must leave behind the woman he loves in order to save her -will he do it


Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of the characters. Only the story and these words are mine.

This story takes place sometime after The Hybrid. I've incorporated some spoilers for the upcoming episodes, and ignored some.

_Enjoy! :)_

IMPOSSIBLE

_A Delena story_

A sense of dread filled her as she saw him walk out of his room, a bag in his hands, and her best friend hot on his heels. Bonnie was muttering something to him in hushed tones, but Elena could scarcely hear. Her eyes were focused on Damon. She watched him hold back whatever the sarcastic comment was on the tip of his tongue, instead listening intently to the witch. She had never seen him so serious, nor so cordial, especially with Bonnie. W_ell, that's a first_, she thought, and her eyes narrowed with a twinge of jealousy.

_But where are they going?_ The though popped into her head and broke her out of her stupor, pushing her legs down the stairs, following them earnestly.

Damon heard her footsteps - actually, Bonnie did too, it's not like she made an effort to be quiet - but he kept going, eager to put distance between them. The night had not been good so far, and it was only going to get worse. He wanted to get out of the house as soon as possible. He was sure yet another confrontation with _her_ might finally push him over the edge, and he was far too close to take that chance.

* * *

><p><em>[[Earlier that evening...]]<em>

Elena shivered in the passenger seat beside Damon as they drove back to the Boarding House. It was a hot August night, but there was a chill in her bones that refused to go away.

Klaus knew she was alive.

And he wanted her dead.

Her breathing became ragged when she thought back to his face, staring at her with a malicious grin as he watched Damon haul her away. Stefan had stood beside him, looking angry and defeated, the red veins pumping around his eyes, his fangs still bared. Klaus laughed beside him, a chortling, cruel laugh, and yet, he did nothing. He didn't even look at her, wouldn't. He stared intently at the ground, and that amused his companion even more. Klaus clapped him on the back, and turned Stefan away, leading him back the way they'd come, away from her. She kept looking at them, even as Damon pushed her in the car and fired up the engine, silently pleading for Stefan to look back. She couldn't remember whether she'd called out to him, but she only saw his retreating back, and nothing else. Nothing but those cold, cruel eyes that had turned to look at her one last time, twinkling in delight. In warning.

He knew she alive.

He would come for her.

He would _kill_ her, for real this time.

She was his prey, and Klaus was the fat cat playing with his food.

Elena gulped shakily and looked at Damon. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles white as he stared ahead, jaw set. He hadn't spoken a word to her since they'd escaped from their run-in with Klaus thirty minutes ago. The whole thing was a blur to her, really, and when she'd finally come to, they were already outside Chicago, shooting down the highway at 180.

And here they were.

"Damon, look at me," she whispered, but got no response. He didn't even blink. She sighed. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Damon, you have to talk to me, please," she pleaded, her voice quivering slightly. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I know you told me stay put and I just..."

She stopped, letting her head fall against the passenger seat. His silence was making it even harder not to be ashamed of herself. God, why did she have to choose tonight to be stupid and brave? She sniffed back tears as they rimmed her eyes, threatening to fall.

_Not that you aren't both of those things on a daily basis, _a snarky voice suspiciously like Damon's replied in her head, and she almost laughed out loud. Even when he wasn't talking to her, he was always with her. And she didn't really mind.

"Look," she turned to him, trying once again, her voice braver than she felt. "I shouldn't have followed you. It was stupid, and reckless, and I am _so sorry_, Damon. You have no idea. But please, talk to me. Or slow down, at least."

She wanted to reach out and touch him, to go in his arms and stop shaking, but she was worried he might flip out if she so much as pointed a finger at him right now. Instead, she braced herself for an outburst, and braved on.

"You can be mad at me when we get home, but can you at least _slow down_ -"

The car screeched to a sudden halt as he stomped on the brakes, the wheels dragging as they turned diagonal on the road. _Thank God for no traffic_. Elena's words were stuck in her throat, and she looked wordlessly at Damon, shocked.

His chest was heaving, his breaths coming heavy. His eyes were rimmed red, and a vein popped in his temple as he glared at her.

"_Don't_ talkto me until we're there," he rasped. She nodded silently, scared of him for the first time in a long while. His eyes snapped back to the road. He slid the key back into the ignition, and rammed on the accelerator. They sped down the highway, and this time, Elena didn't bother holding back her tears.

* * *

><p><em>Broken trust and broken heart...<em>

_Thinking all you need is there,_

_Building faith on love and words,_

_Empty promises won't wear,_

_I know._

* * *

><p>After what felt like hours, they finally arrived at the boarding house. Damon was out of the car and in the door before she could blink, leaving Elena to walk herself shakily to the safety of the indoors. Not that this was much of a safe haven any more. She had died. The house couldn't keep out vampires any more, especially not all-powerful beings like Klaus. He was already drinking when she closed the door behind her, his jacket thrown across the room, lying dangerously close the fireplace. She put down her backpack, and walked toward the fireplace to retrieve it. No use letting his most prized possession burn after all this. She didn't need to give him another to get pissed off and do something irrational.<p>

_Should you really be talking about "irrational" today, Elena? _The voice in her head spoke, but she ignored it.

Walking forward, she set his jacket down on sofa, and sat down beside it, waiting for him to speak. For a while, he said nothing, simply drinking as he stared away from her. Eventually, she began to wonder if he was ever going to speak to her again, when he set his glass down with a firm _clink_.

He gulped, gathering his thoughts before speaking calmly: "What you did tonight, Elena, was _extremely _stupid. And callous and irrational." He was looking at her now, but his eyes held no emotion. The usual fire in them was missing, and he only stared at her with a glassy indifference. She wondered if this was her Damon at all. She waited for him to go on, but he stood up abruptly, moving towards the bar to re-fill his glass.

"I'm signing over the house to Alaric tonight," he said shortly. "You're going to move in here with Jeremy and Alaric, obviously. The magic will keep you safe." He said it with finality in his voice. There were no questions. She wouldn't have said no, even he'd bothered to ask. Still... the lack of... _anything _bothered her.

He finished his drink with a smack of his lips, and dropped his glass lightly on the barstool, turning to leave the room. She stared at him confused, startled by his shortness. He was almost out of the room when she managed to scramble some words together: "Wait, _that's it?_" she called after him, frowning.

He didn't turn, simply looking back at her and nodding. "That's it," he replied and walked up the stairs. Not one to give up so easily, Elena followed him.

He walked fast into his room, ignoring her as she followed him. He began ridding himself of his clothes, disgusted by the sweat and grime as they clung to his body.

She hurried to stand in front of him.

"Damon, look at me," she said, reaching a hand out, but he side-stepped her, smoothly avoiding her touch. She looked hurt for a moment, but went on. "What do you mean 'that's it'? Why aren't you yelling at me or something? Look, I know what I did was wrong, but I just couldn't let you go out there on your own. Damon it was _suicide_ going out there on your own... Last week, I told you I worried about you, and I _still _do, Damon. Why are you so surprised?"

"I'm not surprised, Elena," he replied, taking off his watch and emptying his pockets on the night stand. "This falls right smack in the middle of mind-numbingly stupid and stubborn Gilbert territory. I'm not surprised, at all." He finally looked at her, his blue eyes boring into her with an intensity she couldn't quite understand. "I'm _disappointed_."

She sucked in a breath. _Disappointed._

She couldn't remember the last time someone had the said that to her. Not since her parents. Somehow, it hurt more than any of his insults ever had before. She felt a deep sadness wash over her as she thought this, but Damon was oblivious. He had now vested himself of all his clothes, and stood in front of her only in his briefs. He looked like a God, of course, but there was nothing flirtatious about him tonight. Whereas before he might have wiggled his eyebrows and slipped an innuendo about her being in his room, tonight, he stared at her sombrely, all signs of laughter gone from his eyes.

"Alaric is coming over with Jeremy in a bit," he went on. "We'll do the transfer as soon as my lawyer gets here, which should be..." He turned to look at the clock on his night stand, "in fifteen minutes or so. For now, I'm going to get this wolf stink off of me. You should get some sleep," he suggested, moving towards his en-suite. "Stefan's bed is free."

He heard her breath hitch at his last comment, and he knew it stung her, but he didn't care. As he walked into his shower, and stood under the water, feeling its warmth relax his muscles, he thought, he _couldn't _care_._ Not anymore. He had to be numb, for both of their sakes, because if he let it in - the hurt, the fear, and the anger - he might end up destroying them all.

Outside, Elena walked to Stefan's room, silent tears burning her eyes.

* * *

><p><em>I remember years ago,<em>

_Someone told me I should take,_

_Caution when it comes to love,_

_I did._

* * *

><p>She had fallen asleep after that, but sleep brought her no peace. Nightmares of Stefan and Klaus filled her and watched helplessly as they carried off a staked Damon in her dreams, her screams fading with them. She stirred a few times to someone whispering in her ear, holding her, though she couldn't really tell if any of it was real. When she finally awoke, she was alone, her limbs in tangled in the sheets. The house was unnaturally quiet. That's when she'd decided to go down and check on Damon, to get him some breakfast, perhaps. She had found him leaving with packed bags, instead.<p>

And now she was chasing him once again, and _yet again,_ he paid her no mind, making his way towards the front door, Bonnie hurrying after him.

"Damon, stop!" Elena decided to shout, finally. It was no use pretending any more. She needed him.

"Bonnie, what are you _doing_ here? Why are following him?" Neither of them answered her; though Bonnie did falter at her voice, they both kept moving. The dread began taking over her, and her heartbeat raced as she thought of the possibilities. Frustrated, she ran forward, pushing past her best friend, grabbing onto Damon's arm for support as she skidded herself to a stop in front of him.

She clutched at him, pushing herself against him as she searched his eyes for an answer. "Where are you going?" she whispered.

He stilled under her touch, and for a moment she felt she had been successful. He looked her as he had earlier, with no emotion whatsoever.

"I'm leaving," he replied, no anger or cruelty in his voice. He stated it like it was fact. Like one would read off the weather.

"You- you're _leaving?_" Elena stuttered, loosening her grip and looking at him in disbelief. She turned to Bonnie for confirmation - this was just a big mistake, she was sure of it, - but the witch looked away, unable to meet her eyes. Fear gripped her heart. She reclaimed her hold on him, and grabbed him by both arms now, stepping between him and the door.

"What do you mean? You can't leave, Damon," she reasoned with him. "You can't go out there - _Klaus_ is out there. We-we have to come up with a plan. You can't just-"

"You'll be safe here, Elena. It's done. The house is in Ric's name now. He'll keep you safe while I'm gone," Damon cut her off, nodding to someone behind her. She turned around and noticed, for the first time, Ric and Jeremy standing in the living room, watching her with sympathetic eyes. She didn't want their sympathy; she wanted them to help her.

Damon wouldn't leave her. She wouldn't let it happen.

"Well, what about you? Klaus wants you too. Damon, it's not safe," she reached down and grabbed his hands, pulling them up against her bosom. He felt her blood racing under his fingertips and he let her hold him there, if only for a little while.

"I have go, Elena..." He replied evenly. "Let me go."

"No!" she grew desperate. "I am NOT letting you go out there and get yourself killed, Damon. We don't even have a plan! You can't just run out because you- you're pissed off at me -"

"I have a plan," he interrupted her.

"What?" she asked him dazedly.

"I have a plan," he repeated, retracting his hands from hers. "Klaus is out there, Elena. He knows you're alive. And I have to find a way to _fix _this."

"I want to come," Elena said suddenly. "I'll get my bag and we can go."

Damon laughed mirthlessly. "That would defeat the whole purpose. No, you stay here, where it's safe. I'll go out there, and find a way to fix this mess."

She felt his words cut through her, accusing her.

"Are you punishing me? Is that what this is all about? _I'm sorry_, Damon. How many times do I have to apologize? It's my fault, I know-" her eyes began to prickle with tears now, and she could hear the frustration coming out in her words. She wished he would just _listen_ to her... Her hands pressed against her temples, trying to pull out a winning argument. Anything to get him to stay. Or take her with him.

Damon sighed and pulled her towards him.

"I'm not punishing you. I know, Elena, _I know. _But I can't take you with me. The whole reason we're in this mess is because I took you to Chicago when I shouldn't have. Of course, Klaus was going to notice you were still alive. I was probably stinking up the place with your smell all over me, but I didn't _think._ I should've been smarter, and I wasn't."

"No, no," she cajoled him, shaking her head. "You did everything right. You've been doing everything right for months now. I just... I couldn't lose you, Damon," she said, drawing his face to hers. He inhaled her scent and wished for the umpteenth time that day that he could be anywhere but here. It was too much.

"Don't you see?" She whispered into lips and then she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his as pulled him into a kiss. She didn't care that they weren't alone. She didn't care that she was supposed to be with Stefan. In that moment, Damon was all that mattered. Her lips sought out his, pulling him into her, refusing to give up. Finally, when Alaric coughed in the background, Damon pulled back, his breath coming ragged against her face. Her eyes looked at him, searching, but he looked away. He couldn't give her what she wanted this time.

"I have to go, Elena," he repeated, this time in a much kinder tone. He gently removed her hands from his face, and she gave a small cry. He bent down and picked up his bag. Her lips trembled and she looked away, her eyes landing on Bonnie.

"Sweetie, he's right," the witch said, reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. "It's for the best."

This angered Elena, and she pushed the hand off. "How is it for the best? How is ANY of this for the best?" she thundered. She turned her sharp gaze onto Damon. "And why does _she_ get to come?" she bit out, her eyes accusing them both. "If I can't come, why her?"

He studied her for a moment, taking in her sudden change of demeanour before answering: "I'm looking for a witch to help us... And Bonnie is the key to getting that help. A mediator of sorts."

Elena scoffed and looked away. "Then it shouldn't take you more than a day, now should it? Why the bag?"

"We're... going to be collecting people along the way," he replied cautiously. When she stared at him, eyes-blazing, he conceded: "Katherine," he said.

"What? Have you lost your mind? Damon, she's not going to help you, you shouldn't be trusting her!" Elena chastised.

"She loves Stefan. She'll help," he replied evenly. Their voices had sobered up again, all the vulnerability that had been exposed only moments ago was now cloaked in anger and civility. "She helped me."

"You're leaving me to go to _her?_" she couldn't keep the bitterness out of her voice, and she wondered when she had turned into this maniacal, possessive person. But she needed him, so it didn't really matter.

He sighed, dropping his bag to the floor. He closed the distance between them again, threading his hands through her hair as he stroked her cheek.

"This is _not _about her Elena. It's not even about Stefan," he whispered, and she knew, even before he'd finished saying the words, that they were true. It was never about anyone else, not really. Her need Damon, her _wanting _him had nothing to do Stefan's absence or her own fear of Klaus. She needed him like she needed air - it was elementary. He lowered his voice so only they could hear, blocking the others out. They were lost to the world now. "It's about _you and me._ I can't lose you. You scared me tonight, more than I have _ever _been scared in my entire life."

His blue eyes became glassy, shinning with emotion; he looked beautiful. She touched his face in wonder. For the first time that day, she was warm. She felt an inexplicable happiness in that moment, and with it, she understood his need to hear her say _the words._ These words. It was life defining and life changing all in one, and yet, they were just words – so easy to take, but so hard to give away.

"So, I'm going to do _everything I can_ to make sure you stay alive," he continued. "I'm selfish, Elena. And I refuse to lose. Even if it means being away from you for a while." His eyes bore sincerity and she felt herself giving in, despite herself.

Behind him, she saw the sun rays peeking out through the clouds. It was dawn. Bonnie muttered something to Jeremy and Alaric behind her, before picking up Damon's bag and crossing the threshold to stand outside.

"Damon," she said to him. "It's time."

He nodded. Leaning forward, he pressed a soft, lingering kiss on Elena's lips. The moment she was separated from him she felt the warmth leave her body, and cold fear of his departure surrounded her, making her shudder.

He looked her over one last time and said: "Goodbye, Elena."

She nodded at him, tears rolling down her cheeks as said, "I'll see you again, Damon."

He smiled at her, a sad, heartbreaking smile. With that, he stepped back, and out of the house.

Elena stood there as she watched him make his way to the car. Letting him go was more painful than she had thought. Every cell in her body screamed for her to run to him, to make listen, to make him _stay, _but she had tried...

_This wasn't right._

"Darling..." she gasped. She couldn't help herself. She stepped forward, towards him, and then stumbled back, confused. Elena looked at Bonnie, but the witch hadn't moved, still standing outside the door, looking at her gravely.

_What did you do?_ Elena thought as she tried stepping forward again, only to be thrown back onto the floor. Tentatively, she reached out a hand then, pushing it forward until it hit an invisible barrier, right where the door was supposed to be.

_She wouldn't. _The betrayal stung Elena, and she felt the Fury building inside her. Her eyes blazed as she stood up, turning to glare at her friend.

"What did you do, Bonnie?" she demanded, barely able to contain the anger in her voice.

Bonnie stepped back, shaking her head. "It had to be done, Elena. We knew it was the only way you would stay put. Damon couldn't leave without knowing that you'd be safe... _I _couldn't leave without doing something to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe?" Elena repeated disbelievingly. "THIS is not keeping me safe, Bon. This is imprisonment! Borderline kidnapping! I knew it was a bad idea to let him go. Let me out!" She slammed her hand against the barrier.

"I'm sorry, Elena, I can't. It's for the best-"

"It is _not_ for the best, and you know it!" Elena screamed, kicking against invisible force. "Now, let me out!"

"Listen to me, I'm going to help him, we'll bring that witch back. We'll come back, I promise," Bonnie tried to soothe her.

"No!" she shook her head. "No! You don't even _like _him! You'll probably set him on fire once you're alone. Let me go, Bonnie, please," she cried. "He needs me. I can't stay here..."

"I'm sorry, Elena," Bonnie whispered, her teary eyes regretful as she backed away, and ran towards the car.

"No! Bonnie, come back!" Elena pounded into the invisible barrier as she screamed, her tears falling freely now, her pain and anger and hurt all muddled up together. "Come back! Let me out! You can't do this... Damon! Don't you dare leave me here... DAMON! YOU NEED ME, you need me..." Jeremy was by her side now, pulling her back, but fought against him, pushing and kicking against the invisible wall, as she tried desperately to stop them. To go to _him. _

He slid the keys into the ignition and she heard start the car. She was screaming incoherently now, wailing. Her heart-rate was through the roof, and Damon could hear it pulsing in his head, pushing and pulling him towards her, but he couldn't go. Not now. He had already lost his brother; he refused to lose her, even if it meant he had to hurt her. Even if it destroyed him. As he pulled out of the driveway, he watched her stumble and fall to the ground. Jeremy was immediately beside her, but she scarcely seemed to notice.

"I need you, Damon," she whispered. "Please, don't leave me, _Damon_..._" _she hiccupped brokenly, his name coming out like a prayer. She looked at the car again, and found him staring at her. His eyes were red again, but there were no veins this time, only unshed tears as he stared at her with a look so broken, she felt she had been stabbed with cold knife. It was too painful. She couldn't bear it. Didn't he understand? There was no world for her, if there was no Damon. She couldn't lose him, not when she'd already lost so much. But even as she opened her mouth to plead with him again, the car backed out of the driveway. In the blink of an eye, it was speeding down the road. And then, they were gone.

_Gone._

Elena sagged against Jeremy's legs, her screams dying with the screech of the tires, staring out in shock. She felt her brother kneel down beside her, whispering comforting words in her ear, but she didn't hear them. She couldn't hear anything, but her own blood pumping through her veins. The sun came up, eventually, and she sat there for a long time after that, staring blankly at the spot where she'd last seen him. Her beloved.

Miles away, a nervous Bonnie observed Damon silently, taking in his set jaw, the slight frown on his lips as he stared ahead, tears trickling down his face. She had never seen him so shaken or so emotional before. It was impossible, she thought. It was impossible and it was true.

Damon loved Elena.

* * *

><p><em>Tell them all I know now,<em>

_Shout it from the rooftops,_

_Write it on the skyline:_

_All we had is gone now._

_Tell them I was happy,_

_And my heart is broken,_

_All my scars are open._

_Tell them what I hoped would be_

_Impossible._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Okay, so this was my first ever Delena fanfic. **PLEASE REVIEW! I would REALLY appreciate feedback on this story**, it being my first and all.

I'm not sure if their characters are spot on - I feel this is slightly OOC from the show - certainly I wanted to make their characters - both Damon and Elena - more about their emotions, especially when faced with an open-ended separation. The inspiration came to me to write this story after I watched a delena fanvid based on the "Impossible" by Shontelle (which is an amazing song - you should all listen to it!). The lyrics inserted throughout the story are from this song.

I borrowed some things from both the books and the show for this one:

The quote "there was no world for her, if there was no Damon" comes from The Return: Midnight.

"Darling" is also something Elena calls Damon in the same book.

The "I worry" is a reference to the last scene between DE in "The Hybrid" 3x02.

AND "It's impossible, and it's true" is something Stefan says in season 1 when he explains that he's a vampire.

Well, that's about it - please leave me your thoughts in the reviews section and let me know if you want me to continue this story! I haven't decided whether to make it a one-shot or multi-chaptered story yet!

Take care! :)


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